Refrigerating apparatus



March 936 I w. H. TE ETER 2,035,770

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS v Filed Feb. 28, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MAI-0RD H. TEETEE.

HIS ATTORNEYS.

INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 31, 1936 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATlNG APPARATUS Wilford H. Teeter, Dayton, Ohio, asslgnor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application February 28, 1935. Serial No. 8,615

9 Claims. (01. 62.126)

, This invention relates to refrigeration and particularly to cooling elements for refrigerating systems.

An object of my invention is to provide an im- 5 proved cooling element of pressed sheet metal construction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pressed sheet metal member adapted to be assembled with similar members to form a cooling I" element.

A further object of my invention is to unidirectionally assemble a plurality of similar pressed sheet metal members together and to bond the members to one another to provide a cooling element having a plurality of closed refrigerant passages therein.

In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a still further object of my invention to provide an improved cooling unit construction comprising a m) plurality of unidirectionally nested together pressed sheet metal cupped members and to establish a series path of flow for refrigerant through the plurality of cupped members between the inlet and outlet connections'of the cooling unit.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following de scription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view of a pressed cup member adapted to be assembled in a cooling unit;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through a 'portion of the member shown in Fig. 1 and is taken on the lines 2--2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view of another pressed cup member.

adapted to be assembled in the cooling unit;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View through a portion of the member shown in Fig. 3 and is taken on the lines 4-4 thereof;

Fig. 5 is a front View of a unitary cooling element embodying my invention;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the cooling element shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the lines l| of Fig. 5 and showing a means extending through the plurality of cupped members of the cooling element for dividing the plurality refrigerant passages formed therein;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the lines 8-8 of Fig. 5 and showing a plurality of refrigerant passages which extend 55 around'the cooling unit structure and which are formed by a plurality of the cupped members shown in Figs. 1 and 3;

Fig. 9 is a sectional viewtaken on the lines 9-9 of Fig, 7 showing openings in the cupped portions of the pressed members arranged in staggered relation relative to the means which extends through the structure; and

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view on the lines l0-l0 of Fig. 9 to further show the staggered arrangement of the openings in the cupped members. Referring to the drawings, for purposes of illustration, I have shown in Fig. 1 thereof a member l5 pressed, by any suitable die or press, from a blank sheet of metal into a cupped or U shaped 1 cross-sectional formation which surrounds an opening provided in the central portion of the member. The metal of the U-shaped member I5 is pressed to form a small cupped portion l6 (see Fig. 2) having its one end closed by an integral portion II of the member. The outer portion of the metal legs of U-shaped member I5 is flared or bulged outwardly as at 3- to form an enlarged open or cupped portion IS. The end portion ll of member I5 is apertured or provided with the openings 2| and 22. The aperture or opening 22 is located on a vertical center line through the member l5 and at the top thereof while the opening 2| is spaced horizontally from opening 22 and located at the left side of opening 22 as viewed in Fig. l of the drawings. In Fig. 3 I have shown another member 24 which has a. central opening and which is pressed, by any suitable press or die, from a blank sheet' of metal. The member 24 is similar in contour and in cross- 35 section to the member but has an integral portion 25 extending laterally therefrom for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Member 24 has a small cup portion 26 (see Fig. 4) closed at one end by an integral portion 21 of the member. The side walls of member 24- are also flared or bulged outwardly as at 28 to form an enlarged open or cupped portion 29. The closed end portion 21 of the cupped member 24 is apertured or provided with openings 3| and 32. The opening is similar to the cupped cross-sectional contour of member I 5 and that the sizes or dimensions of the cupped portions 26 and 29 of member 24 are identical to the cupped portions I6 and I9 of memher IS. The enlarged outwardly flared portions it of cupped member I5 and the enlarged outwardly flared portions 28 of cupped member 28 are of a size to permit the wall portions of the cupped chambers l6 or 26 to fit or to be telescoped therein when the members l5 and 24 are unidirectionally pressed together. The horizontal and vertical extensions of the members l6 and 24 are all similarly curved about a large radius for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Since the cross-section and size of members l5 and 24 are similar, except for the integral laterally extending portion 25 of member 24, these members I5 and 24 may be unidirectionally stacked together or pressed into one another to provide an elongated assembly of a length corresponding to the desired length of a cooling element or evaporator to be constructed.

Now therefore, in order to provide a unitary structure, such as the cooling element or evaporator shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, a plurality of each of the U-shaped cupped members l5 and 24 are unidirectionally and alternatively nested or pressed together, by any suitable pressing means, so that walls of the cupped portions I6 and 26 are received in the outwardly flared side wall portions l6 and 28 of the enlarged portions [9 and 29. For example. and by reference to Fig. f the drawings it will be noted that the stacking of the members [3 and 24 has been carried out by fitting or pressing a member l5 into a member 24 and thence a member 24 into the member l5 and so on progressively until the desired length of the elongated structure has been provided. The central opening in members l5 and 24 form, after the members are secured or nested together, an elongated freezing or ice tray receiving compartment. It will be noted from the drawings and particularly Figs. 9 and 10 thereof that after assembly or after nesting the members l5 and 24 together the similar openings 22 and 32 in members l5 and 24 respectively are in horizontal alignment with one another while the other similar openings 2! and 3| in members l5 and 2d respectively, are staggered relative to one another. Before closing the open end of the last member, which may be one of the members i5 or one of the members 24 and in the present disclosure is a member 28, employed in the structure I force a metal rod 35 through the aligned similar openings 22 and 32 in members l5 and 24 respectively of the structure. Rod 35 is adapted to tightly engage walls of the openings 28 and 32 and also the inner surfaces of the walls of the members forming the cupped portions l6 and 26 so as to seal and divide one portion of the plurality of passages formed by the cupped members from another portion thereof. Rod 35 is of substantially the same length as the length of the structure and extends into abutting relation with the wall portion 21 of cup 26 in the front end member 25 of the unit (see Fig. 7). The other end of rod 36 is spaced slightly inwardly of the vertical end surface of member 26 at the rear of the unit to permit the fitting or nesting of a U-shaped member 31 into the end member 2%. Member 3'! serves as a closure for the last passage formed at the rear of the unit and is reversely turned relative to the members l5 and 26, Walls of closure member 31 are of course, of the same size and contour as walls of the cupped portions I6 and 26 of members l5 and 2t respectively. The end closure member Bl is provided with an opening which, when the member 37 is of oxides in and on walls of the unit.

assembled to the structure, is in horizontal alignment with the openings 2! in the plurality of cupped members 15.

. After the various parts of the structure have been nested or pressed together as described to provide an elongated unitary element the parts of the element may then be secured or bonded together in any suitable manner. The entire unit may be dipped in molten solder or the seams between the various parts of the element may be individually soldered or welded to seal the seams against leakage. 0n the other hand the entire unit may be coated in any suitable and wellknown manner with a spelter material and heated in an oven to bond the parts together. The oven in which the element is to be heated is preferably of the type having a hydrogen atmosphere therein so that gases formed in the oven during heating of the unit are neutralized and carried away to thereby prevent the formation In case the various parts of the unit are bonded together by simultaneously heating the unit in an oven the curved formations throughout the extensions of the cupped portions of the members l6 and 24 serve to prevent buckling or deformation of the members and the refrigerant passages formed therebetween. The structure after having the parts thereof bonded together may then be plated or coated with any suitable material to provide a finish for the unit which wil be of neat appearance. The opening 32 in the end member 24 at the front of the unit is adapted to receive therein a refrigerant conveying p'pe or conduit 36 and the opening provided in the end closure member 31 at the rear of the unit is adapted to receive therein a refrigerant conveying pipe or conduit 39. The pipes 38 and 39 serve as refrigerant inlet and outlet connections for the unit and may be secured to the unit in any suitable manner. The cupped members it and 24 being alternatively and unidirectionally nested together permits the integral laterally extending webs 25 to form a plurality of heat transfer flns spaced apart along the length of the unit.

It will be seen that after the various parts of the unit are secured or bonded together the nested cupped members provide a plurality of sealed refrigerant passages around the walls thereof forming walls of the horizontally disposed elongated ice tray receiving compartment. The rod 35 in the top portion of the unit blocks off communication of adjacent refrigerant passages and divides one portion of each of the passages from another portion thereof to prevent the flow of refrigerant entirely or continuously around the icetray compartment in any one passage. The openings 2! and M being arranged in staggered relation in adjacent cupped members permits communication of the adjacent refrigerant passages of the structure alternatively on each side of rod 35. The openings 2! and 31 thereby cooperate with rod 35 to provide a'serles path of flow for refrigerant through the structure from one end to the other thereof. For example, a refrigerating medium may be directed or expanded, by any suitable expansion valve or the like (not shown) connected to pipe 36, into the space formed by the member 24 at the front of the unit. This refrigerant will flow from its point of entrance into the refrigerant space or passage, at the front of the unit and on one side of rod 35, around the ice tray com- .111 cut to the top of the unit on the opposite side of rod 36. Rod 35, being bonded or sealed to walls of the cupped portions l6 and 26 prevents the refrigerant from again flowing through the flrstrefrigerant space or passage and the opening 2| in the adjacentcup member i 5 directs the refrigerant into the space or passage adjacent the first passage at the front of the unit. The refrigerant flows in this manner through all the passages in the unit and thereby provides a series path of flow or circuit for refrigerant throughout the length thereof. Upon reaching the back of the unit refrigerant flows outwardly therefrom through the outlet pipe 39, secured in the opening provided in end member 31, and back to any suitable and conventional refrigerant circulating device.

In view of the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an improved evaporator or cooling element for a refrigerating system which can be constructed from a plurality of unidirectionally nested together sheet metal cupped members and in which evaporator a series path of flow for refrigerant therethro'ugh is provided. The refrigerant circuit through the evaporator and the nesting of the cup members as described forms a structure wherein alternate members thereof have fins extending outwardly therefrom to provide rapid and efficient heat transfer from air within a refrigerator cabinet while at the same time affording fast freezing of a substance in a tray disposed in the freezing compartment of the structure.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A cooling 'element for a refrigerating system comprising, a plurality of unidirectionally nested cupped members secured together to form a unitary structure, said structure being provided with an opening surrounded by a closed hollow wall adapted to receive a refrigerating medium, a refrigerant inlet connection and a refrigerant outlet connection for conveying a rei'rigerating mwum to and from the hollow wall, the walls forming said opening being in alignment to provide an accessible ice tray compart ment, said hollow refrigerant wall being divided by a portion of said cupped members into a plurality of individual refrigerant passages, said dividing portions of the cupped members being disposed between said inlet and said outlet connections and each being provided with an opening for establishing communication between said plurality of refrigerant passages, the opening in certain of said cupped members being staggered relative to the opening in adjacent cupped members, and partitioning means interposed in said refrigerant passages between the openings in adjacent cupped members for providing a. series path of flow for refrigerant through the refrigerated wall between the inlet and outlet connections of the cooling element.

2 A cooling element for a refrigerating systern comprising, a plurality of unidirectionally nested cupped members secured together to form a unitary structure, alternate members of said structure having an integral portion extend ing laterally from the cupped portion thereof and providing said structure with a plurality of heat radiating fins, said structure being provided with an opening surrounded by a closed hollow wall adapted to receive a refrigerating medium, a refrigerant inlet connection and a refrigerant outlet connection for conveying a refrigerating -medium to and from the hollow wall, the walls forming-said opening being in alignment to provide an accessible ice tray compartment, said hollow refrigerant wall being divided. by a portion of said cupped members into a plurality of individual refrigerant passages, said dividing portions of the cupped members being disposed between said inlet and said outlet connections and each being provided with an opening for establishing communication between said plurality of refrigerant passages, the opening in certain of said cupped members being staggered relative to the openingin adjacent cupped members, and partitioning means interposed in said refrigerant passages between the openings in adjacent cupped member for providing a series path of flow forrefrigerant through the refrigerated wall between the inlet and outlet connections of the cooling element.

3. A cooling element for a refrigerating sys-' tern comprising, a plurality of unidirectionally nested pressed sheet metal members secured together to form a unitary elongated structure, alternate members of said structure having an integral portion extending laterally-from the cupped portion thereof and providing said structure with a plurality of heat radiating fins, said elongated structure being provided with an opening surrounded by a closed hollow wall adapted to receive a refrigerating medium, a refrigerant inlet connection and a refrigerant outlet connection for conveying a. refrigerating medium to and from the hollow wall, the walls forming said opening beingin alignment to provide an accessible horizontally extending ice tray compartment, said hollow refrigerant wall being divided by a portion of said cupped members into a plu-" rality of horizontally spaced apart individual refrigerant passages, said dividing portions of the cupped members being disposed between said inlet and said outlet connections and each being provided with an opening for establishing communication between said plurality of horizontally spaced? apart refrigerant passages, the opening in certain of said cupped members being staggered relative to the opening in adjacent cupped members, and partitioning means interposed in said horizontally spaced apart refrigerant passages between the openings in adjacent cupped members for providing a series path of flow for refrigerant through the refrigerated wall between the inlet and outlet connections of the cooling element.

4. A cooling element for a refrigerating sys-' tem comprising, a plurality of unidirectionally nested pressed sheet-metal members secured together to form a unitary elongated structure, said elongated structure being provided with an opening surrounded vby a closed hollow wall adapted to receive a refrigerating, medium, 'a

refrigerant inlet connection and a refrigerant outlet connection for conveying a refrigerating medium to and from the hollow wa1l,.the walls forming said opening being in alignment to provide an accessible horizontally extending ice tray compartment, said hollow refrigerant wall be-- ing divided by a portion of said cupped members into a plurality of horizontally spaced apart in dividual refrigerant passages, said dividing portions of the cupped members being disposed between said inlet and said outlet connections and each being provided with an opening for establishing communication between said plurality of horizontally spaced apart refrigerant passages,

the opening in certain of said cupped members being staggered relative to the opening in adjacent cupped members; and partitioning means interposed in said horizontally spaced apart refrigerant passages between the openings in adjacent cupped members for providing a series path of flow for refrigerant through the refrigerated wall between the inlet and outlet connections of the cooling element.

5. A cooling element for a refrigerating system comprising, a plurality ofunidirectionally nested cupped members secured together to form a' unitarystructure, said structure being provided with an opening surrounded by a closed hollow wall adapted to receive a refrigerating medium, a refrigerant inlet connection and a refrigerant outlet connection for conveying a refrigerating medium to and from the hollow wall, the walls forming said opening being in alignment to provide an accessible ice tray compartment, said hollow refrigerant well being divided by a portion of said cupped members into a plurality of individual refrigerant passages, said dividing portions of the. cupped members being disposed between said inlet and said outlet connections and each being provided with a plurality of similar openings, one of the openings in each cupped member being staggered relative to its similar opening in an adjacent cupped member and serving to establish communication between said plurality of refrigerant passages, the other of said openings in said cupped members being in alignment with one another between the staggered openings in'adjacent cupped members, and means extending through the aligned openings in said cupped members for providing a series path of flow for refrigerant through the refrigerated wall between the inlet and outlet connections of the cooling element.

6. A cooling element for a refrigerating systemcomprising, a plurality of unidirectionally nested cupped members secured together to form a unitary structure, said cupped members of said structure providing a hollow wall adapted to receive a refrigerating medium, a refrigerant inlet connection and a refrigerant outlet connection for conveying a refrigerating medium to and from the hollow wall, said hollow refrigerant wall being divided by a portion of said cupped members into a plurality of individual refrigerant passages, said dividing portions of the cupped members being disposed between said inlet and said outlet connections and each being provided'with an opening for establishing communication between said plurality of refrigerant passages, the opening in certain of said cupped members being staggered relative to the opening in adjacent cupped members, and means interposed in said refrigerant passages between the openings in adjacent cupped members for providing a partition in said passages, said staggered open ings and said partitioning means cooperating with one another and being arranged to provide a series path of flow for refrigerantthrough the refrigerated wall between the inlet and outlet connections of the cooling element.

7-. A cooling element for a refrigerating system comprising; a plurality of unidirectionally nested pressed sheet metal members secured together to form a unitary structure, said structure including an elongated closed hollow wall adaptconnection and a refrigerant outlet connection for conveying a refrigerant'medium to and from the hollow wall, said hollow wall being divided by a portion of said sheet metal members into a plurality of individual refrigerant passages, said dividing portions of said sheet metal members being disposed between said inlet and said outlet connections and each having an opening for establishing communication between said plurality of individual refrigerant passages, and partitioning means interposed in said refrigerant passages between the openings in adjacent sheet metal members providing a series path of flow for refrigerant through the refrigerated wall between the inlet and outlet connections of the cooling element.

8. A cooling element for a refrigerating system comprising, a plurality of unidirectionally 4 nested cupped members secured together to form a unitary structure, said structure including-an elongated closed hollow wall adapted to receive a refrigerating medium and surrounding an open-, ing forming a compartment for the reception of an ice tray, a refrigerant inlet connection and a refrigerant outlet connection for conveying a refrigerant. medium to and from the hollow wall, said hollow refrigerant wall being dividedby a portion of said cupped members into a plurality of individual refrigerant passages, said dividing portions of the cupped members being disposed between said inlet and said outlet connections and each having an opening for establishing comproviding said structure with a plurality of heat radiating fins, said structure including an elongated closecl hollow wall adapted to receive a refrigerating medium and surrounding an opening forming a compartment for the reception of an ice tray, a refrigerant inlet connection and a refrigerant outlet connection for conveying. a re.- frigerant medium to and from the hollow wall. said hollow refrigerant wall being divided by a portion of said c pped members into a plurality of individual refrigerant passages, said dividing portions of the cupped members being disposed between said inlet and said outlet connections and each having an opening for establishing communication between said plurality of individual refrigerant passages, and partitioning means interposed in said refrigerant passages between the openings in adjacent cupped members providing a series path of flow for refrigerant through the refrigerated wall between the inlet and outlet connections of the cooling element.

WILFORD H. TEETER. 

